Railroad-switch.



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RAILROAD SWITCH, APPLIOATIOH FILED FEB. 25-,1909

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A TTORNE YS UNITED. STATES Patented August. 23, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE- THOMAS A. BOV'EN, OF'BLACKSTONE, VIRGINIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Estant No. 768,507, dated August 23, 1904. Application Sled February 25, i904. Serial. No. 195.?32. Gio vd.)

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Bc it known that: l, ',l`uo.n \s`.\. Bowes, a citizen of the ['nited States, residingat-lilaclstone. in the county of N ottoway and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful lmprovcment in Rai[road-Switches, of'which the following is :1 speeilication. Y

.\l v invention is'in the nature'of an improved autom-.atie railroa(2-s\vitch designed to he set into opemiion h v theengincer or some other person ou the train or hy a switchinan along the track. as when freighbtrains are bein'g operated over the same.

)I v improvements com prehend certain novel features in the switch mechanism and in the ceuihination. with thesame, ofa shiftinglever with stand. light, and locking devices, which 1 will noa' proceed todescrihe with reference to the drawings` in which- Figure 1 isa-vertical cross-section through the track. TEig. is a plan view, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on line of In the drawings, A A represent lthe main rails, and- B B theswitchrails, of a railroad', and li' Bi are the movableI switch-tongues,- which are pivoted at Il' l, and at their tapered ends lie adjacent to the'inain railson the inner sides of the same. 'lhe switch-tongues li' B1 are Iirnil v holted at their tapered ends' to a transverse slide-harC, which extends under the rails und out toa lever-stand l)` situatedftoone side of the'traclz. The slide-har C is formed in the middle with an enlargement, which has ou its opposite sides sockets c c. which loosely receive-the end s f 1 of two oppositely-plaud cam-levers E E. These cam-levers (see Fig. 3) are elevated at their outer ends toa higher plane and are provided on their higher ends with flat and horizontal diamond-sln'iped cams r' f'. The levers E are fulcrumed'at t between tliei r ends and are also formed with overlappingr wings Jur, which cover the sketsvin'the slide-har at all times irrespective of the position of the parts. This prevents the entrance of dirt or obstruction 4which might get into the joint and prevent the. free operation of the parts. The diamond.- shaped cams are designed to he struck by a downward projection from the vtrain--as shown, for instanceat .1', Fig. 2- which pro jection isl made adjustable up or down and is under the control of the engineer or someone on the train. so that when it is properly adjusted down to position it strikes'one or the other of the cams- \\'lien such projection strikes a cam, it tlzrows Vthe lever E to one side, and as this has its end entered'in'to the socket of the enlarge(lv part of the slide-bur the slide-bar is slid lcmgitudinall.\- to one side or t-he'other to shift the switch-tongues B'B. By having a lever E upon each side and adianiondshaped cani on cach lever thtslide-.bar

is shifted and the switch adjusted for trainsgoingin either direction.' The outer ends of the levers E are raised not only for the purpose of bringing; the cams up to convenient engagement h v the adjustable contacting mechanism .on the' train, but also for the purposeof giving room under the outer ends of the lever for a'wheel or roller F, (see Fig. 3,) which causes the levers to move freely and quickly in response to the passage ofthe train.

The slide-bar may he worked either with or without' roller-bearings.4 'hen the switch is lthrown from one side to the other, it is held 4up to its position against the rail h v means of -lever (i is th'ro'wn over to one side or the other its weighted end holds the switch tothe position to which it is' adjusted.

` The stand has n rigid vertical post D' in the middle, which carries` at its upper end a lamp D, and the lever has attached to it on one side and moving with it a curved box H, which is open at the bottom and receives the lamp carried hy the stationary post D'. Atl the iends of this curved box on cach side are glazed windows/z. and fl'. Une end has white glass and the other end red glass, and when the lever G, with the curved box, 4is thrown to one side the white glass-is brought opposite ,the

stationa ry lam p',and when-the leverand curved box are thrown to the other side the red rglass I is brought vin front of the lamp, and in this iiianncr at night the safety and danger signals indicate the. position of the switch. 'l`he weight of this'gflzimd box cof'iperales witlithe ball on the end oi' 'the lever to hold it and the switch to itsadjiistinijnt.

operating nieehzniisin troni cindeis. snow,-and other obstructions, a covering-plate l is at ta'ched to the slid e-l iar and is niade toextcnd over and protectthcse parts. A hood Jv is attached to the lever and extends over the switch-stand to protect its parts from the weather. I i

Having thus described iiiy invention, what 1 elaiiii as new, and desire to secure hy Letters Patent, is

1. A railroad-switch comprising two tapering:r tongues pivotcd at'their larger ends, a sliding cross'- bar rig-idly attached to said tongues and forincd with an enlarged central portion with sockets on opposite sides, ltwo levers fnlcruined in the road-bed between the rails on opposite sides of the slide-har and having'their'inner ends entered into the socket's'of the slide-bar and Canis mounted on the outer ends of the levers and adapted to be struck by a projection froin the passing train Substantially as described and for the purpose set' forth.

2. A riiilroatl s\i'itch comprising two tapering tongues pivotetl at their larger ends, av sliding cross-bar rigidly connected to the said tongues and foi-ined with an enlarged central portion with sockets on opposite sides, tiro levers fnlcruiiied in the roadbed between therails and having their inner ends entered into the sockets of the slide-bar, the outer ends of said levers heilig raised-to a higher plane and bearing o'ii the upper side a'eani and on the lower with the switch-tongues'and a sliding crossin the road-wd about a vertical axis, said lcvei' being loosely (Mnnccted to the slide-har and having its otite-r end raised and provided on the tippt-r side with :i cani arranged to be acted upon by the passing train and having on the lower side friction-roller substantially as and for the purpose described.

ingI tongues pivotql at their larger ends, n sliding cross nar rigidly attachull to said tongues and for1x.-c\`l with an enlarged central saine.I two levers fulcriimcd in the road-bed between the ralson opposite sides of the slidebar and having their inner ,ends entered into the sockets of the slide-bar and their outer ends provided with cams. anda weightedupright. lever fulcruined .outside the track and connected to the slide-bar to holdthe same to the position to which it may be adjusted substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination with a railroadswitch; of a stand located. outside the tracks and having a stationary light-holder, an upright le. verhaving its lower end connected to the. switch and a signall.o.\: attached to the lever and inclosing the light-holder and having dif ferentlycolored windows in its opposite ends substantially as and for the purpose described "itnesses:

J. L. Nesi-.m1,

C. R. Savons.

v i bar connecting the same: of a lever fiilcrunied To protect the. central parts of the switchi; A railroad-switch comprising two taperport-ion with sockets nn opposite Sides of the4 o. ln a railroad-switch. the combination' 

